Police speak on Ebonyi Inspector’s wife child kidnap controversies

By Christian Ogbonna

The Police have blamed mental instability for the controversial child-theft incident involving one Mrs Chioma Nwewu, the wife of an Inspector in Amachi Amagu Community of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The spokesperson for Ebonyi Police Command, SP Joshua Ukandu said this in a statement on Friday while confirming the incident which occurred on March 20.

Ukandu confirmed that the woman was confronted by members of the community over allegations of child abduction after she was reportedly seen wandering aimlessly within the area.

According to the statement, the police officer’s wife was stripped and tied up by some members of the community while being questioned about her presence in the area.

However, she was rescued following a distress call from a concerned citizen, who feared she might be lynched by the irate crowd by police operatives who swiftly mobilised to the scene.

The Police spokesperson said she thereafter detained at the Central Police Station, Abakaliki, while members of the community were invited to provide evidence or statements to substantiate the allegations against her.

But he said none of the accusers came forward while she was in custody.

Ukandu added that police operatives also visited the community on several occasions in the course of the investigation, but no useful information linking her to any child abduction incident was provided.

The spokesman noted that preliminary investigations by the Command revealed that the woman experienced episodes of mental instability following a traumatic experience involving a stillbirth, a condition reportedly supported by a medical report she presented.

“In the course of the investigation, her bank account statements were also scrutinised for any suspicious transactions.

“Findings showed that the money in her account had accumulated gradually over the years through proceeds from her trading business as a market woman from 2015 up to the time of the incident.

“Furthermore, investigations did not establish any evidence linking her to any case of child abduction in the state,” the police added.

Ukandu said the Command urged members of the public to refrain from acts of jungle justice and always allow the police to carry out investigations in line with established legal procedures. (NAN)